Sound Off: Mitch Ropelato

23 year -old Mitch Ropelato flat out loves to ride. DH, DJ, trail, moto, enduro, you name it, he’s on it. With both World Cup DH and Enduro World Series events under his belt, Mitch is a threat whenever there’s a number plate on his bars. As the 2015 Enduro World Series marches on, Mr. Ropelato is putting in the miles, shredding aboard his Specialized Enduro 29er. In fact, going fast is so important that Mitch would choose running canti brakes over bad suspension, or maybe that’s just because he never uses his brakes anyway… Read on for some more insight into Mitch’s Mind.

Have you ever seen examples of supernatural phenomena, ie Bigfoot, ghosts, miniature creatures, chupacabra, etc? Nah, never seen any supernatural phenomena, but I feel like something has to be out there somewhere.

Dawn patrol or evening ride? Like they say, early bird gets the worm!

Have you ever used your bike as a getaway vehicle, and why? Which time…? When I used to ride street a lot every now and again you had to outrun campus or mall security.

If you had to ride with cantilever brakes instead of hydraulic discs or elastomer suspension instead of current technology, which would it be? I would definitely take the cantilever brakes. As long as the bike handles like a boss I’ll figure out how to get it slowed down.

Best cycling innovation? I would have to say the dropper post. Nobody’s got time to stop and go to put their post up and down all the time.

Flats or clipless? Clipless all the time unless you’re on the hardtail.

Would you rather be a circus clown or a rodeo clown? Circus clown for sure! I’m down for everyone to have a laugh at me, but I don’t want them laughing at me ’cause I just got owned by a bull.

Favorite place to ride? Utah for sure. We have so many trail options to ride everyday.

Who are your heroes or role models? Jeremy McGrath flat out is the man!

Pizza or burrito, and what would be on/in the perfect one? Burrito for sure! It would consist of Avocado, pulled pork, cheese, black beans, rice, and a side of a tortilla chips.

Cross-train or ride more? I’m down to cross train unless it involves the gym/Cross Fit arena… Then I’m out.

Anne Caroline or Minaar? Minnaar

Meditation or Metallica? Meditation

What was your first bike? It was a Schwinn Gremlin 16”. It lasted from when I was 3 to 10 years old. My grandpa had to throw a couple welds on it every now and again to make sure it stayed in one piece.

Websites you check everyday? Vital MX, Instagram

Is it a roost or a carve? Race run: carve. Messing around: roost.

What is one super power you wish you had? If I could slow time down that would be pretty cool.

What are you most grateful for? Ahh, too many things. I’m pretty grateful for all the places I’ve been able to go to and all the friends I’ve meet along the way. It’s all been made possible from riding a bike.

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About the Author

Luke appreciates the climb and its challenges, but is convinced the only reason to pedal faster up the hill is to start your descent sooner. While he has sampled the joys of long rides on the tarmac, the dirt is where you’ll find him. When not on the trail or in the water, Luke likes to drive off into the wild to take his daughter camping in his cherished 1987 Volkswagen Westfalia.